"Limited edition from Swedish experimenters who first came to my attention with great drone releases on the Radium label. This disc inaugurates their "kingdoms" Elgaland and Vargaland (which just happen to inhabit all the world's border frontiers and all of the international waters!). Comes in plastic sleeve w/ stickers, postcard, text cards and citizenship/passport application. "The Kingdoms of Elgaland-Vargaland National Anthem No. 1" (63'16") is a wall-of-drone made from marching band music: horn fanfares, drumming and symphonic music. The drumming reminded me of Vagina Dentata's release of "The Pagan Drums Of Calanda", which documented the annual religious event when the city is dominated by these massed drums. The creators of Elgaland-Vargaland similarly sound the psycho-geographic space of their virtual lands with the echoes of the signature music of modern European kingdoms. With this physical sounding they hope to next annex all mental and perceptive territories such as the Hypnagogic State (civil), the Escapist Territory (civil) and the Virtual Room (digital)." [Chris Twomey]

Immerse (UK):

The dual monarchs, the revered Leif Elggren and the exalted Carl Michael von Hausswolff, collaborate for the first in hopefully a long line of versions of the KREV National Anthem. No. 1 is a 63 minute loop of orchestral brass and pomp splendour, (similar to previous Sons Of God work), looping some much that it becomes almost drone-like if you concentrate on it too much. Their Majesties even made this available at a Disobey night at the end of 1996, when each guest became a citizen of KREV. No citizen should be without this valuable memento. [mFr]